Hirogen
The Hirogen were a nomadic species of hunters who roamed huge distances in the Delta Quadrant during the late-24th century. They viewed other lifeforms as prey and treated them as such, showing little evidence of compassion or empathy for other intelligent species. Physiology Hirogen adult males were quite large, standing above the average height of most other known humanoid species. They also possessed greater physical strength than most Humanoids afforded to them by their advanced muscle and nervous system. Their sensory perception was acute, a feature that served well as the Hirogen were an aggressive hunting species. The Hirogen also possessed an impressive immune system. The Hirogen used an enzyme to break down the bones and muscle tissue of their prey, suggesting that the Hirogen used some of their victims as food. The color of Hirogen blood is red. Female Hirogen pursued male hunters in possession of rare or unique trophies acquired during a hunt. Society and Culture The entire Hirogen society, from social rituals, to art, to religious beliefs, centered around "the hunt". Their existence is driven by the pursuit of prey and it had carried them across huge distances. One of the rituals surrounding the hunt involves hunters applying paint to their faces and helmets for both the hunt and the kill. Even with no face paint available, one specific Hirogen fighter who was forced to fight in the Tsunkatse matches still went through the ritual of running his finger over his face, as if applying paint. Hirogen culture required a hunter to study his prey to understand its abilities, believing that such study was essential to prevent a hunter from becoming the hunted. Choosing the most appropriate weapon to make the kill was considered important; a scythe-like knife seems to have been the preferred method for close range. There was great importance placed upon the moment of the kill and it was believed that the way a creature behaved when it was wounded was the key to its destruction. Hirogen were known to disappointment when the species they chose to hunt proved to be unchallenging. However, being the first to hunt a certain kind of prey in itself caused some envy. They rarely saw other Species as equals because they often did not consider non-'Hirogen' as hunters. As a result, being called "worthy prey" by a Hirogen was meant as a great compliment. The Hirogen believed "you must never sympathize with your prey." However, they did bestow a rather unique non-Human compassion towards their prey, believing that they should never let their prey suffer. Most Hirogen vessels traveled alone, sometimes with a crew consisting of as few as merely two members. One such vessel was known to have spanned a radius of a thousand light years in just five years; it had also visited as many as ninety star systems in a single year. Occasionally, however, Hirogen vessels were encountered in groups or packs. This was more common if they were hunting a challenging and resilient prey. The Hirogen social structure was organized into packs of male hunters similar to a wolf pack, each led by a Hirogen known as the Alpha. The second-in-command was the Beta – if the Alpha died, the Beta became the Alpha. After the Hirogen caught their prey in a fair hunt, they claimed their relic. They removed the skeletal system, muscles, internal organs, ligaments, and tendons by a surgical procedure known as an osteotomy. Unusual relics brought envy from other Hirogen males, and Hirogen females desired a male who had such unusual relics. These items couldn't be taken before the moment of the kill. Status was determined by possession of prizes from hunts, often body parts or technology obtained from their prey. These prizes, called "trophies" or "relics", were displayed in nets hanging from the ceilings or walls of their vessels. In the case of skulls, they were often mounted as a wall display. Philosophy Hirogen philosophy and lifestyle was almost totally based around one major activity: hunting. The hunt was the most important part of Hirogen life, and absorbed most of Hirogen activity. Prey which put up a struggle before they were killed in the hunt were considered "worthy prey". The Hirogen thought that these prey made better trophies. The weaker, less cunning prey were considered pathetic prey, and gave no satisfaction or challenge to the hunt. To get food, it was speculated that the Hirogen ate their prey. It was also apparent that the Hirogen liked to learn as much as possible about their prey if they were captured alive. Because their entire lives were spent hunting, little time or resources were left for research and development. The Hirogen were nomadic. They had no homes or bases of operations. This was not always the case however. The Hirogen were once a great civilization and an advanced culture. History Ancient Hirogen civilization was knowledgeable and possessed advanced technology. However, by the 24th century, there was no evidence of them identifying with a homeworld; their nomadic existence was driven by the pursuit of prey. This had caused Hirogen society to put nearly all of its energy into increasingly unproductive hunts in increasingly exhausted territories, bringing cultural and scientific advancement to a near standstill. The Hirogen way of life had not changed for a thousand years. They lived as nomads and had dispersed themselves throughout the quadrant, becoming a solitary and isolated race. It had even been stated by one Hirogen, Karr, that in another thousand years, no one would remember the name Hirogen, as they were hunting themselves to extinction. In 2357, a Hirogen hunter was captured on his son's first hunt and forced to participate in Tsunkatse matches. He remained a forced participant in the blood sport until the Federation starship USS Voyager (NCC-74656) rescued him in 2376 Science and technology Hirogen technology was not made for comfort. It, like its makers, was focused on the hunt. The Hirogen body armor had internal life support, with a breathing apparatus over the mouth and nose, and it can protect a Hirogen hunter while seeking prey in most hostile environments, including the surface of a collapsed star. The Hirogen have an arsenal of various formidable weapons, including a tetryon rifle with a sensor display that helps a hunter to track his prey. They also have a device that seems to function much like a tricorder, which reveals bio-data on the captured prey. Hirogen ships made use of various technologies including torpedo launchers, shield emitters, and sensors. Hirogen vessels were also equipped with a subnucleonic beam that could perform rapid scans of other vessels and could severely disable another ship, disrupting its propulsion and its navigational sensors. Once a targeted ship was disabled, the Hirogen could use their tractor beam technology to tractor in their prey. Their ships also had monotanium armor plating. This plating offered extra protection and it had the added effect of scattering targeting beams. Hirogen vessels were also able to mask their engines by operating in stealth mode when they wished to track a vessel without alerting it to their presence. The command center of the Hirogen vessel had a large metallic sphere with deep intersecting grooves. Manipulating the rods set into the unit could alter the vessel's speed and attitude. Information about incoming fire, the stability of the Hirogen ship's hull armor, and navigational sensors were also relayed through this station. Standard Hirogen vessels were capable of overpowering an starship in groups. They communicated over a subspace relay network. This alien network was over 100,000 years old and extends to within communication range of the Alpha Quadrant. The relays were powered by artificial quantum singularities, similar to Romulan warp drives. Each of these relays produced an intense gravitational field. USS Voyager (NCC-74656) destroyed one of the relays and the energy from the quantum singularity created a massive discharge that disabled the stations on the relay network. The Hirogen started making use of holographic technology in the form of holographic training facilities after being given an optronic data core by Captain Kathryn Janeway in 2374. These training facilities combined Hirogen technology with Federation technology, as components such as LCARS-style controls, were present. The ketric was a distance measurement used by the Hirogen. Category:Humanoid Species Category:Species